Reinforced concrete post.



PATENTBD JULY 7, 1908.

I. L. GRAHAM. REINFORCED CONCRETE POST.

APPLIUATION FILED 13110.27, 1907.

- 8 nvent oz [raLfi'm/zwn v wit and IRA L. GRAHAM, OF PAYNE, OHIO.

REINFORCED CONCRETE POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1908.

Application filed December 27, 1907. Serial No. 408,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA L. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Payne, in the county of Paulding and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Reinforced Concrete Post, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to concrete fence or other posts reinforced bymetal.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a post of thischaracter so constructed as to possess great strength as com ared withthe mass of material required and ightness of the post, and which can befirmly planted in the soil.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a concrete postwhich is hollow at one side substantially throughout the entire lengththereof and formed with a horizontal web at the bottom so that earth canbe tamlped within the hollow of the ost where the atter is planted inthe earth, w ereby the soil forms a key to firmly anchor the post inposition.

WVith these objects in view and others, as

will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises thevarious novel features of construction and arrangement of parts whichwill be more fully described hereinafter and set forth withparticularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the post used'in a wirefence construction. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereofshowing the post adapted for rail fence construction. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on line 33, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the post which is composed ofconcrete or other plastic material formed in a suitable mold andpreferably tapering from its base to the top. The post is hollow andopen at one side, the cross section thereof being U-shaped. Embedded inthe concrete and extending from one end of the post to the other is ametal reinforce 1 conforming substantially to the transverse outline ofthe post and extending from the corner A to the corner B, Fig. 3, thereinforce being a perforated metal sheet, as shown, or any otherapproved reinforce, as desired, the perforations 2 serving to provide abond between the concrete inside and outside of the reinforce.

The post is formed with a top web 3 that constitutes a cap and with abottom Web 4 extending horizontally across the end so as to form anabutment upon which the soil can be tamped for the purpose of preventingthe post from working loose in a vertical direc tion. In setting up thepost, a hole is dug in the earth in the usual manner and the larger endof the ost inserted therein, after which the soil is 15 led in aroundthe post and thoroughly tamped. Not only is the earth tamped around theoutside of the post but also in the hollow thereof on to of the bottomweb or late portion 4, so t iat the earth compressed 1n the hollow formsa sort of key that 006 crates with the upward taper of the post tofii'mly anchor the latter in position.

In holding the post, horizontal apertures 5 are provided for thereception of bolts 6, Fig. 1, which secure the wires 7 of the fence tothe post. The bolts are formed with eyes 8 through which the wires arepassed. The threaded ends of the bolts project rearwardly through theopenings 5 and receive fastening nuts 9. By tightening the nuts, thewires 7 can be bowed into the hollow of the post as shown in Fig. 3 andthus revent the wires from slipping longitudinal y when they are placedunder tension during the stringing of the fence. In a rail fence, asshown in Fig. 2, the rails 10 are secured to the post each by a pair ofbolts 11 that extend forwardly through apertures 12, the apertures beingarranged to register with the erforations 13 of the reinforce. A post oft iis character is strong and durable, requires a minimum of cement, andis comparatively light.

From the foregomg description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of oeration will be readily apparent to those sl illed in the art to whichthe invention appertains, and while I have de scribed the principle ofoperation of the invention, together with the device which I nowconsider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is 1. A postcomprising a body molded of plastic material and of U-shaped crosssection and formed with a transverse web at the base extending acrossthe hollow of the body,

a reinforce embedded in the body and eX- tending from one end to theother and conforming to the transverse cross section thereof, and meanssecuring a fence structure thereto.

2. A post comprising a body molded of concrete material and hollow andopen at one side throughout approximately the entire IRA L. GRAHAM.

Attest:

GEO. B. BROWN, WILLIAM WV. BROWN.

